A POCKETFUL OF 

Dr^CTITC ABBIE FARWELL BROWN 
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Class /^S3^/>2. 

Book J2M.^& 



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COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT. 



afabic jFartocII Proton 



A POCKETFUL OF POSIES. Illustrated. 

i2mo, Ji.oo, 7iet. 
INTHE DAYSOFGIANTS. Illustrated. i2mo, 

Ji.io, ttet. Postage n cents. 
THE BOOK OF SAINTS AND FRIENDLY 

BEASTS. Illustrated, izmo, $1.25. 
THE LONESOMEST DOLL. Illustrated. Sq. 

1 2 mo, 85 cents, fiet. Postage 10 cents. 

HOUGHTON, MIFFLIN & CO. 
Boston and New York 




I LIKE TO GO A-PADDLING (page 92) 



A POCKETFUL OF 
POSIES 



BY 



ABBIE FARWELL BROWN 



ILLUSTRATED BY FANNY Y. CORY 




BOSTON AND NEW YORK 
HOUGHTON, MIFFLIN AND COMPANY 
(SCfte RiDccjjitJc jgrejas, CambriDBe 
1902 



THE LIBRARY OF 
CONnRESS, 

Twj Copite RECtiivEC 

OCT. V:.^ 1902 

CopyntoHT EKTRv 
OLASS a XXa No 
1 COPY 8, 

1^^ .nil- li ■■ ■■- 



COPYRIGHT, 1902, BY ABBIE FARWELL BROWN- 
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 



Publisfied October, igo2 



V 



To make a gift for Mother 
My little rhymes I took, 
And more than any other 
I love this little Book. 

They are not wise nor witty, 
Oil, they are very small ! 

But she will think them pretty, 
Because I made them all. 

From one end to the other, 
Wherever yon may look, 

The Book belojigs to Mother: 
Dear Mother, take the Book. 



CONTENTS 



An Excuse 
Spring Patchwork 
Morning Glories 
An Adventure 
The Candy Lion 
A Mistake . 
The Fairy Book 
Oh, Mother! 
YacJiting . 
Caf s-Cradle . 
Poor Dimple . 
Fairies .... 
Ballad of the Little Page 
About Names 
Jack-in-the-Box 
Naughty Tulip 
Who trimmed the Leaves ? 
A Family Reunio7i 
S. P. C. T.T . . 

The Sailor . 
The Telephone . 
Vegetarians . 

Signs . . . . 
V 



3 
4 
6 

7 
9 

10 

II 
13 
15 
17 
19 

21 

23 
28 

30 
32 

34 
36 

39 
40 

42 
44 
46 



The Flower School 

A Romance 

Cinderella 

Nojisense . 

The Primrose 

Fourth of July 

Gossip . 

Theology . 

The Pummy. 

Ink . 

Friends 

Riddles . 

A Riddle 

The Cloud 

At the Zoo . 

The Frog . 

Little Brothers 

Tell-Tail . 

A Music Box 

Speaking a Piece 

In the King's Garden 

The Moon-Matt 

The Suave Crocodile 

The Plausible Goat 

The Alphabet Tree 

Clothes 

Cornfield City 

The Menagerie 

Sky Matches 

Papa Away 



VI 



The Spoiled Violin . 


. 88 


Sand- Wells 


91 


Wading on the Beach 


. 92 


Snow-White Ships 


94 


Rain 


. . 96 


Summer Thanks .... 


98 




. 100 


Hammocks ..... 


lOI 


Brave Knights .... 


. 102 


The Difference .... 


103 


The Dandelioti Ghost 


. 104 


Vanity 


106 




. 107 


Bobby and Big Brother go to walk 


108 


Stories ..... 


. no 


The Band 


112 


Suppose ..... 


. 113 


After Vacation .... 


114 




. 116 


My Dryad 


117 


Learning to play 


. 119 


Points of View .... 


120 


The Chrysajithemum 


. 122 


The Greedy Pincushion 


123 


Sunset ..... 


. 126 


Kitty s Picture .... 


127 




. 128 


The Thennometer . 


130 




. 131 


My Nose 


133 



Vll 



My Mamma 

Biittons 

Market Day 

Winter Butterflies 

Katrinas Tales 

The Policeman 

Boys 

In Sampler Times 

Christmas 

Snow . 

The Wise Book 

The Son of Brave Sir Guy 

In the Kitchen . 

The Baby Lion 

The Electric Light . 

Slumber Song 

Prayer of a Tired Child 

A Blessing . 



135 
136 

137 

139 
142 

143 
144 

145 
147 
149 
150 

151 

158 

159 
161 

162 

164 

165 



The courtesy of various publishers permits a number 
of these rhymes to be reprinted from the " St. Nicho- 
las," "The Youth's Companion," "The Churchman," 
"The Congregationalist," "The Independent," " Little 
Folks," " The Brown Book," and " The Woman's Home 
Companion." 



vui 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 

PAGE 

I like to go a-paddling (page 92) Frontispiece 
I've been so very near them ... 22 
/ waited many hours, I think . . 66 

I play I am that bird with wifigs . .102 
Taught the first little girl how to sing . 162 



A POCKETFUL OF POSIES 



AN EXCUSE 



FROM Bed to Dreamland is as far 
The 
As up into the farthest star ; night 

So one of course is sometimes late express 

To breakfast when it comes at eight. 



For though the train like lightning goes, 

And reaches there before one knows, Return 

It takes much longer to come back, 

Because the Dreams get on the track. 



trip 



And though the sleep-train toots and yells, ^^^"S- 

dong ^ 
And though one hears the jang of bells, Q^f 

The Dreams won't hurry : so it seems up ! 

As if you ought to blame the Dreams ! 

t t 
t 



SPRING PATCHWORK 



Patch- 



work 



quilt 



IF I could patch a coverlet 
From pieces of the Spring, 
What dreams a happy child would have 
Beneath so fair a thing ! 



April 
colors 



A centre of the dear blue sky, 
A bordering of green, 

With patches of the yellow sun 
All chequered in between. 



Many 

shades 

of 
green 



Bright ribbons of the silky grass 

Laced prettily across, 
With satin of new little leaves. 

And velvet of the moss. 



Chintz 

squares 



In every corner, violets, 
Half-hidden from the view. 

With many-flowered squares betwixt, 
Of pinky tints and blue ; 
4 



Of flossy silk and gossamer, 
Of tissue and brocade ; 

A warp of rosy morning mist, 
A woof of purple shade. 



All 
kinds 

of 
material 



Embroideries of little vines, 
And spider-webs of lace, 

With tassels of the alder tied 
At each convenient place. 



All 
kinds 
of 
trimnnnz 



With gold-thread I would sew the seams, Gold-thread 
And needles of the pine ; pine-needles. 

Oh, never child in all the world ''^^7himble 

Would have a quilt like mine ! 



t t 
t 



MORNING GLORIES 



BEFORE I open drowsy eyes, 
^^ The little Morning Glories rise 

To climb their ladders green and tall, 
That lean upon the garden wall. 



They long to reach the top and find 
Up What sights are hidden there behind ; 

But never one can climb so high, 
They always fail, and this is why : 

They woke so early in the day, 
Up That, as the morning wears away, 

They droop all sleepy-eyed ; you see, 
I know, — it is the same with me. 

Their heads begin to nod and swing, 
Down They cannot climb, they cannot cling. 
Asleep they tumble off, and then 
They must begin to climb again. 
6 



AN ADVENTURE 



ONCE when I was in Cookie Land 
A-many miles away, 
I went to take a sailing trip 
Upon the Ice-Cream Bay. 



A little 
trip 



for fim 



The boat it was an apple pie, 
With ginger-snaps for sails ; 

But oh ! A currant storm arose, 
And cream-puffs grew to gales ! 



The Boat 
Danger ! 



The sea ran high in jelly rolls, 
The breakers dashed whipped cream 

Upon the stern, rock-candy coast, 
I thought I 'd have to scream ! 



The Storm 



The candy mast fell with a whack, 
The pie-crust cracked in two, 

The sauce-y waves came rushing in, 
I thought, — "What shall I do ? " 
7 



Ship- 



wrecked 



It floats 



I found a life preserver then, 

A doughnut fat and round, 
And stuck my head right through the hole, 

I knew I 'd not be drowned. 



Saved ! 



So then I swam, and swam, and swam, 

Out in the Custard Sea ; 
Until a floating island came, 

Convenient as could be. 



Six 



years 



And there upon that dessert isle 
I lived six years or more, 
elapse Until I 'd eaten all the place. 
And thought I 'd go ashore. 



Home 

again 



So first I ate the Custard Sea, 
And next the Ice-Cream Bay ; 

Then on the sugar sand I crossed. 
It was the nicest way. 



t t 
t 



THE CANDY LION 



A CANDY Lion 's very good, 
Because he cannot bite, 
Nor wander roaring for his food. 
Nor eat up folks at night. 



Harmless 
ami 
sweet- 
tempered 



But though it 's very nice for me. 
It 's not so nice for him ; 

For every day he seems to be 

More shapeless and more slim. 



Fades 



away 

somehow 



And first, there 's no tail any more ; 

And next, he has no head ; 
And then, — he 's just a candy Roar, 

And might as well be dead. 

t t 
t 



Why! Why, 



So You 

eat Him up 



Valentine 



not 



A MISTAKE 



THERE came a little Valentine, 
The Postman brought it here, 
Big capitals all in a line 

Spelled out my name, quite clear. 

The cover is of lacy stuff, 

With pretty flowers and birds, 

And underneath are plain enough 
These lovely printed words : — 

" Dear Maiden, will you not be mine. 
As I am thine f Thy Valentitie." 



Oh, there is some mistake, I fear, 
It can't belong to me, 
^^^ Although the Postman brought it here. 

For I 'm a boy, you see ! 



lO 



THE FAIRY BOOK 



WHEN Mother takes the Fairy Book 
And we curl up to hear, 
'T is " All aboard for Fairyland ! " . 
Which seems to be so near. 



Just 



before 



bed 



For soon we reach the pleasant place 
Of Once Upon a Time, 

When birdies sing the hour o' day. 
And flowers talk in rhyme ; 



7ve 



travel 



instead 



Where Bobby is a velvet Prince, 
And where I am a Queen ; 

Where one can talk with animals, 
And walk about unseen ; 



to 



Fairy 



Land 



Where Little People live in nuts. 
And ride on butterflies, 

And wonders kindly come to pass 
Before your very eyes ; 
II 



where 

strange 
things 



, , Where candy grows on every bush, 

all And playthings on the trees, 

^"^^ . And visitors pick basketfuls 

time 

As often as they please. 

It is the nicest time of day — 
Deal' 

^^ • Though Bedtime is so near, — 

Book ! When Mother takes the Fairy Book 

And we curl up to hear. 



t t 
t 



OH MOTHER 



OH Mother ! I went out to float 
Upon the lily-petal boat ; 
But Bull Frog splashed the water in, 
And spoiled my gown of rosy-thin ! 

Oh Mother, oh ! If you were I, 
Now would you play with Butterfly ? 
He stole the whole of Clover's sweet, 
And gave me not one bit to eat ! 



Oh, 



jiaughty . 



Oh, 



mean ! 



Oh Mother ! When I went to walk 
Along the tiger-lily stalk. 
The Daisies bent together, so, 
And laughed about my hat, I know ! 



Oh, 



spiteful ! 



Oh Mother ! I lay down to sleep, 
But Caterpillar came a-creep, 
And tickled me to make me stir. 
Oh Mother ! Won't you punish her ? 
13 



Oh, 



horrid ! 



Oh, 



shockmg ! 



Oh Mother ! When I went to wade 
Among the dew-drops in the shade, 
The pop-eyed Beetle stared so wide 
I had to run away and hide ! 



Oh, 



the 



wretch ! 



Oh Mother ! Cricket winked his eye 
At me as I was passing by, 
And when I spoke a scathing word, 
He only rubbed his wings and chirred ! 



t 



YACHTING 



A BUTTERFLY yacht is the boat for me, 
With velvety sails afurl, ^^"'S^ ^, 

■' of the 

Tacking o'er waves of an endless sea, Btitterfly 

Caught in the drift and whirl. ^^^^ 



I '11 sail from the harbor of Mignonette 
To the port of the Red-Red-Rose, 

And stop at the quay of the Violet, 

When the breeze from the nor' -wood blows. 

But when the wind is sweet-sou'-sweet 

I '11 beat to the Clover strand. 
And load a cargo of honey to eat 

On my voyage to Lilac Land. 

I '11 drift as far as ever I please, 
. Perhaps to the farthest star. 
For there is no end to the ^Ether seas 
Nor anywhere reef or bar. 

15 



But when the Snow-time comes with a shock, 

For butterfly yachts too chill, 
We '11 lie for repairs in a cocoon dock, 

Till Spring comes over the hill. 



t 



CAT'S-CRADLE 



OH, Flitterkin and Flutterby, 
Why do you run to me and cry ? 
And why do you come home so late ? 
You naughty fays to make me wait ! " 



Fairies 
late ! 



" Oh, Elf-mamma, we broke the rule ; 
We played cat's-cradle in the school. 
We saw a skein of spider thread 
Caught on a grass-blade overhead ; 
It was so soft and silky fine. 
About our fingers it would twine. 
We crissed and crossed it so and so, 
From hand to hand it slipped, you know, 
From me to him it went, and then 
From him to me came back again ; 
For, if you play the game aright, 
There is no end from morn till night. 



Mischief 



school ! 



We had forgotten everything 
Except cat's-cradle, when a ring 
17 



Master 

Owl 



Punished ! 



From teacher's hare-bell made us jump, 

For Master Owl upon his stump 

Had opened great big eyes so wide 

And round our mushroom desk had spied. 

Oh, Master Owl is very stern ! 

He said we could not play and learn, 

He took away our silken thread 

And gave us copy-books instead. 

He set us on two toadstools high, — 

Your Flitterkin and Flutterby ! — 

And made us stay long after school, 

Because, Mamma, we broke the rule. 



t t 
t 



POOR DIMPLE 



OH, Tiptoe ! Have you heard the news ? 
Oh, shall I laugh or cry ? The news. 

Poor Dimple ! Yes, we both were there, 
Were Thistledown and I. 



Yes, we were playing hide-and-seek, 

And Thistledown was it, 
Then Dimple found a whirly-shell 

Which brother Snail had quit. 



The game. 



Oh, Dimple thought the whirly-shell 

The nicest place to hide ; Hidden. 

He squeezed his plumpness through the door 

And curled him up inside. 



Oh, Thistledown spied high and low, 

But he was hid too well. 
At last I heard a little cry 

Come faintly from the shell. 
19 



Help! 



" Help, Thistledown ! Help, Gauzy wing 1 " 
Boo-hoo / Poor Dimple cried, — *' Boo-hoo ! 

I can't get out, I am too stout ; 
Oh, dear! What shall I do?" 



What 



to 



do? 



We could not help him. Tiptoe dear, 

Not anybody could, 
Though all the little fairies came 

A-flitting from the wood. 



Poor 

Dimple 



Poor Dimple was too roly-round, 

He fitted oh, so well ! 
He could not even turn about 

Inside the whirly-shell. 



must 



grow 
lean. 



So there poor Dimple weeps and fasts. 

For he can eat no more. 
Till he undimples long enough 

To wriggle through the door. 



It t 
t 



FAIRIES 



I'VE seen the grasses swaying, 
I 've seen the rose ajar, 
Where Fairies had been playing, 
And were not hidden far. 



So near 



I 've seen the blue-bells tinkling. 
Just rung by tiny hands, 

I 've seen the dew-drops twinkling, 
New-shed from fairy wands. 



and yet 



I 've seen the leaflets shiver 
Where tired wings sought rest, 

And flower-petals quiver 
Where little feet had pressed. 



so far, 



I've seen a toadstool waver 
That lately sheltered one. 

And lily pads a-quaver. 
The fairy voyage done. 



21 



r ve been so very near them, 
where the I've felt them close at hand, 

Yet never see nor hear them, — 
I cannot understand ! 



Fairies 



How can they be so sprightly ? 

Why should they be so shy ? 
I always say politely, — 

" Coo ! It is only I." 



And so they need not worry ; 
are I And yet they never wait ; 

However I may hurry, 
I always come too late ! 



t t 
t 




I'VE BEEN SO VERY NEAR THEM 



BALLAD OF THE LITTLE PAGE 



IT was a little, little Page, 
Was brought from far away 
To bear the great Queen's velvet train 
Upon her bridal day. 



He comes 



His yellow curls were long and bright, 

His page's suit was blue, 
With golden clasps at neck and knee, 

And ruffles fair and new. 



to court 



And faith ! He was the smallest page 

The court had ever known, 
His head scarce reached the topmost step 

That led unto the throne. 



a very 



And ah ! 'T was but a little lad 

Had never been before 
So many leagues from kin and friends. 

And from his father's door. 
23 



little Pase 



all alone. 



And oh ! 'T was but a little child, 

Who never yet, I wis, 
Had stolen lonely to his bed 

Without a mother's kiss. 



He has 



no 



friends 



and is 



He had not seen the noble Queen, 
Of whom his heart had fear ; 

He knew no friend at court to give 
A welcome of good cheer. 

It was the busy eve before 
The fair Queen's wedding day. 

The palace hummed with revelry, 
And every one was gay. 

Each vassal had his task to do. 
So none the time could spare 

To soothe a weeping little Page 
Whose mother was not there. 



very 



homesick 



and 



Far in a big and gloomy room 
Within the castle-keep, 

The little Page lay all alone 
And wept, and could not sleep. 

The little Page lay all alone ; 
He hid his head and cried 
24 



Until it seemed his aching heart 
Would burst his little side. 

The chamber door was set ajar. 

And one was passing by 
Who heard the little Page's sobs, 

And then his piteous cry. 

A white hand rested on the latch 

And pushed the heavy door, 
A Lady glided o'er the sill, 

And crossed the chamber floor ; 

A Lady tall and sweet and fair, 

In bridal white she stepped ; 
She stood beside the Page's bed, 

And asked him why he wept. 

He sobbed aloud about a "kiss," 
Of " mother " and his " home ; " 

He wished the Queen had called no page, 
He wished he had not come, 

For she was such a stern great Queen, 

He was afraid, he said ; 
And he was lost and lonely there 

In that big, gloomy bed. 
25 



afraid. 



He weeps 



and 



some one 



comes to 



comfort 



him. 



So he 



goes to 



sleep. 



Morning, 



dressed in 
beautiful 
clothes, 



The Lady softly bent her down 
And kissed him on the Hps ; 

She smoothed his yellow silken curls 
With tender finger tips. 

The tears stood in her gentle eyes ; 

" Poor little lad ! " she said, 
And cuddled him within her arms, 

While kneeling by the bed. 

The Lady held him close and warm, 
And sang the child to sleep. 

While at her nod the waiting maids 
A silent watch did keep. 

Now when the morning smiled again, 

The little Page awoke ; 
They clad him in a suit of white, 

A velvet cap and cloak, 

With crystal buckles on his shoes ; 

They led him to the Queen, 
All lovely in her bridal gear. 

The fairest ever seen. 



he 



But he was such a tiny Page 
He trembled and looked down ; 
26 



He dared not look upon her face 
For fear to see her frown. 



waits 



Lo ! Then he heard a soft voice say, — 
" Oh, little Page, draw near ! 

Is one who sings to sleep so sound 
A Queen for child to fear ? " 



upon 



He raised his eyes and lo ! the Bride 

Looked on the Page and smiled, 
And then he knew his Queen had played ^^^^ ^"^'^ 

At nurse-maid for a child. 



Then well he graced the wedding feast, 

And bore her velvet train. 
And at his dear Queen's side thenceforth 

Was never sad again. 



and is 

no longer 
a/raid. 



t 



L' 



The 



are 



ABOUT NAMES 



EUCANTHEMUM VULGARE" — oh, 

you have a long name, too, 
You poor dear little Daisy ! I can sympathize 
with you. 

littler Does not your head feel heavy with that dread- 

ful name to hold, 
they ^nd don't you feel, Leucanthemum Vulgare, 
very old ? 
I do, when people call me by the name they 

think is sweet, 
And love to murmur over, — " Gladys Con- 
stance Marguerite." 

And then, when you 've been naughty, does 
your daisy-mother say, — 

" Leucanthemum Vulgdre ! " in a stern reproach- 
ful way ? 

I know about it, Daisy, for mamma has often 
said, — 

28 



" Now, Gladys Constance Marguerite, go right the longer 

upstairs to bed ! " 
And then I know I 'm very bad, for that 's my 

punish-name ; 
Oh, Daisy dear, do you suppose all mothers do 

the same ? 

But I love best to think of you as Daisy, for 

you see 
That 's my pet name, the very same my friends 

have given me. 
And we are twinnies, are we not ? For both of 

us have woes, — names 

they 
About our long, long punish-names, — that no have. 

one ever knows. 

They may be "grand" and "dignified" and 
" sweet " and all the rest, 

But we love always — don't we } — our Daisy- 
names the best ! 



t t 
t 



JACK-IN-THE-BOX 



IF I was as small as your littlest doll, 
^^^ And you were no bigger than me, 

My ! When Jack-in-the-Box with his horrible grin, 
His bulgy big eyes and pudgy red chin. 
Jumped out with a Squeak ! from the den he is 
in, 
How awfully frightened we 'd be ! 



Oh! 



Oh, 



I 'd try to be brave, little sister to save. 

But you would be scared into fits ; 
For you are so funny, and chubby, and small. 
And Jack-in-the-Box is a Giant so tall. 
Who catches each morning a fat little doll, 
And crunches its bones into bits ! 

His teeth are so long and so sharp and so 
strong ! 
His smile is a terrible thing ! 
Oh, Jack-in-the-Box has a wicked old face, 
30 



And down in his den is a horrible place ! 

My ! 
I am glad I am big ; he is there^ in that case ! 

Do you think — you darst — press on — the 

spring ? 



t t 



THE NAUGHTY TULIP 



I WISH I were a Violet," the naughty TuHp 
said, 
" I want to wear a pretty purple hat upon my 

pretty hat . 



Such a , 1 

, head ; 

I 'm tired of the ugly one I always have to wear, 

I never chose a yellow hat ! Oh, dear, it is n't 

fair ! " 

She hung her little head and sulked and shook 

in silly grief. 
She sought to hide her lovely hat behind a 

pointed leaf ; 
And now, ^^^^ yN\i^xv the kindly, pleasant Sun beamed 

down on her and smiled. 
She pouted and she flouted him, the naughty 

Tulip-Child ! 

Just then, as she was whimpering, a Breeze 
came passing by ; 
32 



He heard the Tulip scolding with her pretty hat 

awry: at all! 

So then to punish her he blew^ and whisked the 
hat away ; 

And now she stands and shivers there, bare- 
headed, all the day ! 



t t 
t 



WHO TRIMMED THE LEAVES? 



JVori 



for 



THE leaves on every kind of tree 
Were once edged smoothly as could be, 
When God and all his Angels strove 
To make a world out of His love. 



little 



cherubs , 



But there were baby Cherubs who 
Had nothing in the world to do ; 
And so the Father sent them out 
To snip and scallop all about 
The green of tree and flower and fern 
Till evening, when they must return. 



each 
did 
his own 
way , 



fringed, 



some tn 



pointed, 



Then down the little Cherubs came 
With eager eyes of dancing flame, 
With chubby little fingers, too. 
Eager to " help " (like me and you) ; 
On every tree and plant alight, 
Like lovely birds upon a flight. 
With tiny shears they snipped, you see, 
34 



And scalloped all so busily, 



some in 
round 
That when the sunlit day had dimmed scallops, 

There scarce was left a leaf untrimmed. 



Then back to Heaven the babies flew, 

but 
Their wings all glistening with dew ; ^// 

And grown-up Angels heard them say, — helped. 

" Father, we too have helped, this day ! " 



And that is why to-day one finds 
Leaves of so many, many kinds. 



t t 
t 



All 

different. 



comes. 



A FAMILY REUNION 



THE Family once gave a Fete, 
And Charlie Boy was there ; 
But Charlie sat him down and sulked, 
" I do not think it 's fair ! 



" The other little girls and boys 

Charlie is Have lots and lots of cousins, 

not 
satisfied. And brothers and twin-sisters, too, 

By threes and fours and dozens, 

" But there are n't any Relatives 
j^ To come with me and play, 

and girls Except a single little girl, 
My cousin Rosa May." 

Now Charlie should have looked around 

to play And thought the matter out, 

ijutth 

When, surely, soon he would have found 

He had no cause to pout. 

36 



For all in Charlie's family, 

And chiefly of his name, 
Besides our Charlie Boy himself, 

Just hear what children came : 

Now, there was little Rosa first ; 

And grandpa's grandchild dear ; 
His great-great-aunt's grand-nephew's girl 

Was also sitting near. 

The cousin of his father's son ; 

The niece of Charlie's mother ; 
His auntie's child ; and the only one 

Of his mother's husband's brother. 

His second cousin once removed 

Had one third cousin, too. 
The cousin of our Charlie Boy, — 

Is that quite plain to you ? 

His grandma's husband's son-in-law 
Had one dear daughter there. 

And the child of mamma's brother-in-law 
Was quite as sweet and fair. 

The grand-niece of his father's aunt ; 
The grandchild of her brother ; 
17 



Count, 

Charlie, 
Count ! 



Three ? 



Sevettl 



Eight 'i 



Ten? 



Thirteen '( 



an unlucky 
number. 



His uncle's grandma's grandson's niece ; 
Dear me ! Was there another ? 



What, 

fourteen ! 
Really ? 



Yes, Charlie's father's brother's wife 
Had brought her little daughter. 

If Charlie could not play with these. 
Why, dearie me, he oughter ! 



Well then, 
how many 
children 
we?-e there 
at the Reunion ? 



But Charlie only sat and sulked 
As naughty boys will do, 

And whined to little Rosa May, — 
" What game is there for two ? " 



t 



I 



S. p. C. T. T. 

WISH the careful little girls 
Could make the naughty little boys animal 



All join a big Society one. 

Preventing Cruelty To Toys ! 



t t 
t 



THE SAILOR 



Ship 



ahoy ! 



LITTLE girl, O little girl, 
Where do you sail to-day 
The greeny grass is all about, 
I cannot see the bay. 



long 



voyage. 



" The greeny grass is water, sir ; 
I 'm sailing on the sea, 
I 'm tacking to the Island there 
Beneath the apple-tree. 



All 



aboard! 



" You ought to come aboard my boat, 
Or you will soon be drowned ! 
You 're standing in the ocean, Sir, 
That billows all around ! " 



A 
fair 

price. 



Little girl., O little girl. 
And must I pay a fare ? 
" A penny to the apple-tree, 
A penny back from there. 
40 



" A penny for a passenger, 

But sailors voyage free ; An 

Oh, will you be a sailor, sir, ^ ^ „ 

' ■' ' ' seaman? 

And hold the sheet for me ? " 



t t 



I 



THE TELEPHONE 



WANT to talk with Clover-Bloom," 
Said Buttercup one day, 
The wish. " \ wish there was a telephone, 

She lives so far away, heigh-ho ! 
I have so much to say ! " 



Now Mr. Spider heard her speak 
As he was passing by, — 
The offer. « \ 'H build for you a telephone. 

If you will let me try, heigh-ho ! 
An architect am I." 



So then he climbed the ladder-stem, 
And then he spun a thread 
■^^i^^^- Above the Daisies, — how they stared ! 

Above the Grass's head. Heigh-ho ! 
To Clover's house it led, 
42 



A silken-wire telephone ; 

Now Buttercup is gay 
For she can talk to Clover-Bloom Ended. 

The livelong summer day. Heigh-ho ! 

I can't tell what they say. 



t t 
t 



VEGETARIANS 



Plums, 
Lime. 

Beat 
time. 

Reasons 

for living. 
Currents. 
Pairs. 



OF course a Plumber dotes on plums, 
The Mason loves a lime, 
Musicians think much of the beet, 
When they are killing time. 

The Lawyer lives by raisins good, 
And bread-fruit needs the Baker ; 

But currants suit the Sailor-man, 
And pears the old Shoe-maker, 



Old dates Historians devour dates, 

are best. And let none go to waste ; 

No peace! While Soldiers do not care for peas, 

Grape-shot. The grape is to their taste. 



Palette is The palate of an Artist-man 

reddish. Is touched by many a hue, 

orange, All radish shades and oranges, 

greenish. And greens and olives, too. 

44 



The Farmer thrives on plantain fruit ; 

Nuts fit the Wheelwright's trade ; 
For Chinamen with almond eyes 

Rich mandarins were made. 



Springtime 

for plantitig. 
Wholesome 
Mandarins. 



All Jokers live on chestnuts stale, TfUs is 
Oh, you should see them cram ! a joke. 

Now, though you may not care a fig, Lettuce 
Which do you think I yam ? <^uess. 



t t 
t 



The real 



name ? 



SIGNS 



I THINK to-day was washing day 
I saw, on passing by, 
The Httle fairy handkerchiefs 
Spread on the grass to dry. 



There is to be a wedding soon, 
Cobwebs. The busy spiders spin 

A gauze to make the fairy bride 
Her veil so soft and thin. 



For fear that showers may descend 
Toadstools. The fairies have supplied 

Umbrellas for the wedding guests, 
Their finery to hide. 

t t 
t 



THE FLOWER SCHOOL 



T 



HE Flowers study in their beds, 
And all recite in rhyme ! 
The lesson first put in their heads 
Is how to tell the Thyme. 



t t 
t 



A ROMANCE 



AS Lily watched her Phlox one day, 
A fierce Snap-Dragon came that 
way. 
Sweet William to the rescue flew, 
With blade of Grass the monster slew. 






CINDERELLA 



BOUNCING BET and Black-Eyed Susan 
Tried to squeeze Wild Rose's shoes on ; 
But each found 't would pinch and nip her, 
That dear little Lady's Slipper. 



t 



NONSENSE 



THE Pansy wonders what it meant : 
She heard rich Marigold declare, 
When Ragged Robin begged a cent, — 
" Alas ! I have no scents to spare ! " 



t 



THE PRIMROSE 



THE Primrose is a prudish maid, — 
Of every glance she is afraid, 
And when the Blue-Eyed Grasses wink, 
She leaves abruptly, turning Pink. 



t t 
t 



FOURTH OF JULY 



THE Blossoms wake at Four o' Clock, 
Their little pistils all a-cock ; 
They blow the noisy Trumpet Flowers, 
Flags wave, and Blue-Bells ring for hours. 



t 



GOSSIP 



DANDELION, gossips say, 
Kissed Tulips the other day, 
Yet no punishment receives, 
For he kissed them by their leaves. 



t t 
t 



THEOLOGY 



THE Cardinal argued, with vigor and zeal, 
His interpretation of Solomon's Seal ; 
While Jack in the Pulpit was calmer and sadder. 
Discussing the climax of old Jacob's Ladder. 



t t 



THE PUMMY 



9'Tr^ WAS in the land of burning snow 
A Which filled the grass with heat, 
The Pummy sat upon a stone 
To cool his blistered feet. 



The 

Pummy 
is 
about 



The Pummy sat upon a stone, — 
His eyes were full of tears, — 

And listened to the Glu-glu Bird, 
Who filled his heart with fears. 



big 



as a 



Bear, 



The Glu-glu perched upon the tree 
Which upside down did grow ; 

The roots were waving in the air, 
The top was in the snow. 



yellow with 
red spots ; 
his ears 
flap and 



" O Glu-glu Bird, lend me your wings ! " 
The spotted Pummy cried, 

"That I may fly across the snow 
And reach the Otherside. 

55 



his mouth 

is Big ! 
My I 
His eyes are 



round and 
green. He 
is a gentle, 
kind 

beast, 
but looks 
very 
fierce. 

The Glu- 
glti Bird 
is very 
wicked. 

Her beak 
is long 
and 
crooked. 

She has 
great red 
eyes and 
a long 

tail like a 

Peacock. 



" I dare not cross the burning snow 
Without my rubber boots ; 
I left them in the steamer trunk." 
The selfish Glu-glu hoots, — 

" O yellow Pummy on the stone, 
If I should lend my wings, 
How could I to my home return 
And get my winter things ? 

I want to wear my muslin gown, 

My gossamer and lace, 
I want to tie a purple veil 

Across my beaky face." 

The Pummy shed some ice-cold tears, 
And wiped them with his paw. 
" Oh, must I sit upon this stone 
Until a winter thaw 1 " 

"Not so, not so, my spotted friend," 

The Glu-glu bird replied, 
" I think the snow is creeping up 

And soon you will be fried ! " 

She squawked and flapped her tinsel wings. 
And flew away in glee ; 
56 



The Pummy wept a cup of tears, 
This lonesome sight to see. 

He wept a pailful, then a tub, 

He wept a little lake ; 
And, strange to say, the snowy heat 

At once began to slake. 



She sings like 
a saw-mil/. 

Her feathers 
are green 
and blue. 



With tight-shut eyes he bellowed loud 

And wept a sea of brine. 
And lo ! the snow thawed into sand 

All white and soft and fine. 



Fink legs. 



He sat and roared for twenty hours. 
Then opened wide his eyes. 

And when he saw the snow was gone 
Imagine his surprise ! 

He took his pocket handkerchief 
And stroked his whiskers down. 

Then trotted northward to the sea 
And took the boat for town. 



I like the 

Pmnmy. 



Glad he 
reached home 
safely. 



57 



INK 



SOME folk dip pens into the Ink, 
And find the thoughts they want to 
think. 



Blots. 



But somehow, when my pen comes out. 
The thoughts are scattered all about ! 



t t 
t 



FRIENDS 



HOW good to lie a little while 
And look up through the tree ! 
The Sky is like a kind big smile 
Bent sweetly over me. 



Friend Sky. 



The Sunshine flickers through the lace 

Of leaves above my head, 
And kisses me upon the face 

Like Mother, before bed. 



Friend Sun. 



The Wind comes stealing o'er the grass 

To whisper pretty things, 
And though I cannot see him pass, 

I feel his careful wings. 



Friend lVi?id. 



So many gentle Friends are near 
Whom one can scarcely see, 

A child should never feel a fear, 
Wherever he may be. 
59 



Many 
Friends 
besides, 
everywhere. 



RIDDLES 



RIDDLE whose Answer you don't 
know 
Is like a Fiddle without a Bow. 



A 



An Answer without any Riddle 
Is like a Bow without a Fiddle. 






A RIDDLE 



YOU need it to finish your breakfast ; 
Your tea must begin with it, too ; 
Don't have it with luncheon or dinner, 
You '11 have a bad spell if you do ! 



Think hard ! 

Do you 

spell badly ? 



You need it with turkey and biscuit, 
Two times you must have it with toast, 

But never with pickles or cookies 
Or candy, — but always with roast. 

You 're little ? It 's weakly and cambric. 

You 're big ? It is brownish and strong. 
'T is doubled and bubbled in kettles ; 

Oh, guess it, — and don't you guess wrong ! 



Oh, my f 
Can't yoti 
guess now ? 



I like it with 
lots of sugar. 
K-e-double — 
to find the an- 
swer turn over 
on the next page. 



6i 



^^^ ^ Answer : Tea. 



t t 
t 



THE CLOUD 



THE sky is full of star-dust, 
It will be brighter soon ; 
An Angel with a little cloud 
Is dusting off the Moon. 



Dusting-day 

in 

Heaven. 



t t 



AT THE ZOO 



Hungry. 



THERE are no minutes by the clock, 
No hours at the Zoo, 
But always it is Hungry Time 
When Sleepy Time is through. 



Hungry. 



Hungry. 



Hungry. 



And visitors who come to call 

Are not bid in to eat, 
For plainly host and hostess all 

Expect their guests to "treat." 

They rush to greet you eagerly, 
They strive your hand to take. 

But not to shake it, — no, to feel 
For candy or for cake. 

And when your final crumb is gone 
They sniff and turn away, 

But do not bid you a " good-bye," 
Nor beg that you will stay. 
64 



They have no manners at the Zoo, — 

At least, their ways are queer, 
Until the Hungry Time is through ^ 

And Sleepy Time is near. 



t t 
t 



THE FROG 



I see 



the 



Frog. 



AS I was walking by the pond 
I spied a monster Frog. 
He stared at me unwinkingly, 
And said, " Ker-chog ! " 



Sreet 



htm. 



" Hello, old Goggle eyes," said I, 
" You cannot outstare me, 
I '11 stay until you look away." 
" Ker-chog ! " quoth he. 



We 



stare. 



So then I stood and stared at him, 
He staring just the same, 

His funny eyes round with surprise. 
Ker-chog 's his name. 



We 



still 
stare. 



I waited many hours, I think, 

For him to turn his head ; 
He spoke one word, but never stirred, 

" Ker-chog ! " he said. 
66 




I WAITED MANY HOURS, I THINK 



" I have so many things to do, 
And it is late," said I, 

" Please look away, I cannot stay. 
Ker-chog, good-by." 



/ 

grow 



tired. 



But Still he stared. "Well, then," I said, 

" I give it up, rude Frog ; 
I do not care for such a stare." 

He grinned " Ker-chog ! " 



He 



So then I turned and ran away 

As fast as I could go. 
But still he sat and jeered like that, 

" Ker-chog ! " I know. 



away. 



t t 
t 



LITTLE BROTHERS 



Like 



Hiawatha. 



Animals 
are 
not 
dumb ! 



I 



WISH I knew the simple words 
To talk with Fish and Beasts and Birds ! 
We call them " dumb " because they speak 
A tongue not English, French, or Greek ; 
But they are wiser far than we, 
And often grieve, it seems to me, 
Because we folk of Tailor-Land 
Can't answer them nor understand. 



We 



dull. 



Tree- 



top 



tales. 



Water- 
wonders. 



How pleasant it would be to stray 
About the woods and fields all day. 
Conversing with them, high and low, 
Of matters that one wants to know. 
I should learn very curious things 
From Brother Bird who loaned his wings 
To bear me up into the sky, 
Till never child had soared so high ! 
And Brother Fish would teach the maze 
Of ripple-paths and water-ways ; 
68 



Would tell me fishy tales, and show 

What fishermen can never know. 

Then Brother Beasts would make me wise Four- 



With secrets which a man would prize. 
The bigger Beasts would walk beside, 
And bear me when I chose to ride ; 
They would defend me from the foe, 
And teach the safest way to go. 
The little ones would find me food, 
And bring me news of bad and good ; 
And I should love them, oh ! so well, 
And they would know, for I could tell. 
So I should be their little King, 
To share their life in everything. 

All this I cannot do, indeed ; 
But it is 'most as good to read. 
All cuddled in some cosy nook. 
Of Mowgli in the Jungle Book ; 
Of Mowgli who, it seems to me, 
Is what one most would like to be ! 



footed 
fun. 

Big eyes ! 

Big teeth ! 

Red tongues ! 



But kind 



to me. 



I shall 
play 
Mowgli. 



t t 
t 



TELL-TAIL 



? /^^^ ^^ ' ^°^ shame ! Who tied the pail 

V^ Upon the end of Pointer's tail ? 

^^ See, Pointer is a tell-tail who 

Points straight, O naughty Jack, at you. 



t 



A MUSIC BOX 



I AM a little Music Box 
Wound up and made to go, 
And play my little living-tune 
The best way that I know. 



Tinkle- 



tan kle .' 



If I am naughty, cross, or rude 
The music will go wrong. 

My little works be tangled up. 
And spoil the pretty song. 



tinkle- 



tunkle ! 



I must be very sweet and good 
And happy all the day, 

And then the little Music Box 
In tune will always play. 

t t 
t 



tink- 



tank- 



tunk ! 



SPEAKING A PIECE 



DID you ever speak a piece and find 
That all the poem-words 
Had flown away from out your mind 
Like little frightened birds ? 

The people were so very near, 
Their eyes so big and round, 

Your voice came out so high and queer. 
With such a funny sound ? 

The platform was so long and wide, 

You felt so very small. 
You had to run away and hide 

And spoke no piece at all ? 



t t 
t 



IN THE KING'S GARDEN 



OH, not for long, ah, not for long, shall I be 
lingering A Rhyme of 

In the garden of the King ! " 
So blithely and so proudly sang the Rose ; 
" For My Lady found me fair, 
And will pluck me for her hair, 
And I shall go with her, where she goes." the Rose, 

" I care not, oh, I care not, for the King nor for 
the Queen, 

Though the fairest ever seen," 
Sang the Primrose from the bed across the way, 

" For the Poet passed along, the Primrose, 

And wove me in his song, 
And I shall live forever in his lay." 

The Violet beside them only drooped her head 

and smiled, t/i^ Violet. 

For she knew a little child 

73 



Had stolen to the corner where she grew. 

He had named her best of all, 

And fairest, though so small, 
And crowned her with a kiss ; but no one knew. 



t t 



THE MOON-MAN 



THE Man who lives up in the Moon, - 
Look, you will see him pretty soon ; 
Across his shoulder balanced there 
A long Lamplighter's pole he '11 bear. 



Just 
like 



He is the man who has to light 

The street-lamps of the sky, each night ; 

He trudges up the Milky Way 

Upon his rounds at close of day ; 

And stopping where the lamp-posts are, 

Out pops on each a twinkling star. 



the 
man 
who 
lights 



But there is soon more work for him 
When, in the morning, stars are dim ; 
Then down the long and empty street 
The Moon-Man trudges on his beat, 
And, sleepy-eyed and blinky then, 
Puts all the star lights out again. 



the 

lamps 
in 
our 
street. 



75 



THE SUAVE CROCODILE 



THERE once was a suave Crocodile, 
Who lived on the banks of the Nile ; 
Do you 
believe in His ways were so sweet 

first im- Each stranger he 'd meet 

Was quite taken in by his smile. 






THE PLAUSIBLE GOAT 



THERE once was a Grandfather Goat, 
Who thought he was able to vote ; A lost 

How did he behave him ? '^''^^f 

for 
The ballot they gave him somebody. 

Soon vanished inside of his throat ! 



t t 
t 



A 



THE ALPHABET TREE 



POET stood under the Alphabet tree : 

" Oh, what shall I do for a rhyme ? 

There are none lying ripe on the ground," said 

he, 
The Poet „ ^^^ J j^^^g ^,^ ^ j^^^gj. ^.Q ^y^^^ 

Oh, A B C D ! oh, D E F G ! Be, dee, free, 
glee, — 

I wish I could see 
A rhyme all mellow and soft for me." 

The sweet little rhymes were all hanging 
around, 
The fairest that ever were seen. 
Some yellow or rosy or temptingly browned ; 
7%<? Tree. But some were hard, bitter, and green. 

" Oh, H I J K ! L M N O P ! Key, lea, pea, 
plea, — 

They will not agree 
With the sense of my beautiful verse," said he. 
78 



His Pegasus drooped by the side of the wall, 

And hungrily looked at the Bard ; 
'T was a lean little mule, and his winglets were 
small. 
The Poet had ridden him hard. Hungry 

" Oh, Q R S T ! and U, and V ! Sea, she, skee, Pegasus. 

spree, — 

O miserum me ! 
I must find a rhyme on this Alphabet tree ! " 

Then the Poet looked up and the Poet looked 

down. 

As he said, " I will have a last try ! " 

So he seized a big stone with an ominous frown. 

And fired it up very high, ^ _, 

^ ^ *=> The Rhyme. 

" Oh, W X Y Z ! and Z, and Z ! We, wee, ye, 
Zee, — 

Aha, Zuyder Zee ! 
You 're the rhyme I want after all ! " chuckled 
he. 

The rhyme tumbled down upon Pegasus' nose ; 

It was clumsy and heavy and hard, 
But he gobbled it quick, — he was starved, I 
suppose ; 
And the rock hit the head of the Bard. 
79 



The End. " O Poetry, you 're the death of me ! Oho ! 

ohe ! 

Unfortunate me ! " 
And he lay down and died 'neath the Alphabet 
tree. 



t t 
t 



CLOTHES 



ALTHOUGH my clothes are fine and 
gay 

They should not make me vain, ptir 

For Nurse can take them all away, 
And put them on again. 



or Feathers 



Each flower grows her pretty gown, 

So does each little weed, 
Their dresses are their very own, 

They may be proud indeed ! 



Flower- 
clothes 
arc prideful. 



t t 
t 



CORNFIELD CITY 



THE streets of Cornfield City are very- 
straight and long, 
And if you miss a turning you are certain to go 

Where ^'°"S' 

am For all the lanes are just alike, and every 

^^ thoroughfare 

Goes on and on, and does not seem to lead you 

anywhere. 

The walls of Cornfield City are very close and 

high, — 
You cannot see beyond them, you barely glimpse 

How ^^^ ^^y^ 

did I But only waving banners above you can be seen, 

ejiter ? FHp-flapping in a saucy way their fringe of yel- 
low green. 

The ways of Cornfield City are very strange in- 
deed ! 

82 



For there is no policeman to guide you when ^/-^gy^ 

you need ; do I 

There are no names nor numbers, there are no *^ ^"^ " 

signs to show 

Which way it was you entered, which way you 
ought to go. 



And so in Cornfield City you are certain to be 

lost! 

You turn and twist and wander where the , ^ 

Lost, 

checkered streets have crossed ; boa hoo ! 

But don't sit down and cry, dear, — remember ^ ^*'^-^'' 

what I say, 
Just follow out the rigJit-liand street : it is the 

only way ! 



t t 
t 



THE MENAGERIE 



Walk 
right in. 



OH, look at my Menagerie, 
And see the funny things ! 
They are the wildest animals, 
With horns and tails and wings. 



Don't 
feed 



The beetle is a 'Noceros, 

This bug 's a Buffalo, 
I call the mole my Elephant, — 

He is so big and slow. 



the 
animals. 



This yellow spotted lady-bug 
A lovely Leopard makes ; 

This monster fish-worm is the Boa, 
These caterpillars. Snakes. 



Free ride 
on the 
Camel! 



The grasshopper 's a Kangaroo 
(You ought to see him jump ! ) ; 

The snail 's a Camel, for his shell 
Makes such a truly hump. 
84 



I dared to catch a bumble-bee 

And keep him in a cage r, , 

^ ° Dangerous ! 

Of morning-glory ; he 's a Lion ; 
Just hear him roar and rage ! 

The lizard is a 'Potamus, 

_,, , , . -r. Keep away 

1 he hop-toad is a Bear ; //v7w 

Just look at my Menagerie, f^^^ >'opc. 

But not too near, — take care ! 



t 



SKY MATCHES 



I WONDER when the Hghtnings spark 
And flicker from afar, 
Who 's scratching matches on the dark 
To Hght some blown-out star ? 



t t 
t 



PAPA AWAY 



OH, it is such a long, long day 
Since dear Papa has gone away ! 
For I forgot before he went 
To tell him, as I truly meant, Come 

How very much I love him, so ho)ne, 

I am afraid he does not know. 
I wish he would come home again, 
So I could tell him, very plain. 

But when I hear his key to-night, 

I '11 run to meet him, hug him tight, 

And hold my face up for the kiss 

Which all day long I 've had to miss. ^^ 

your 
He 11 take me up and cuddle me, uttie 

And I shall sit upon his knee ; S^''^' 

Then I will tell him how each day 

I love him while he is away. 



87 



THE SPOILED VIOLIN 



Viol 



Family. 



I KNOW a little family, 
A family of Strings ; 
Viol is their ancient name, — 
They are the quaintest things ! 



Good 



voices, 
too. 



Their family resemblances 

Are very, very strong, 
They have n't any hands nor feet, 

But oh, their necks are long ! 



Papa 
and 

Mamma. 



Bass Viol is the big Papa, 
Who stands against the wall ; 

And Mother 'Cello, soft and sweet. 
Near by, is 'most as tall. 



Sister and 
little Brother. 



Next there is sister Viola 
(Who used to be a twin), 

But crowding in before them all 
Is little Violin. 



Mamma has often said to me — 

I 'm sure of every word — 
That when the grown-up people speak, 

I must be seen, not heard. 

But in the family of Strings 

It is not so at all, 
For Father only mumbles things 

Up there against the wall ; 

And Mother 'Cello's voice is low, 

And Viola's is thin. 
But always louder than the rest 

Talks little Violin. 



Seen, 



not 



heard. 



" Gr-r-r!'' 

growls 
Bass Viol. 



"■Tum-te-dumP' 
''Teedlc-dee!" 
'T-r-r-r, 
squeak-squeak ! 
Tra-la-la-ohf" 



He interrupts them when he likes ; 

They cannot keep him still. 
He runs and quavers, laughs and whines ; 

His voice is high and shrill. 



" Tra-la-la-oh, 
squeak-squeak ! 
Pr-r-r-r, 
zi7n, zim,zimf" 



No matter who was speaking first. 
No matter what they play. 

The Violin just pitches in 
And always has his say. 

If I were Violin's Papa, — 
Bass Viol, six feet high, — 
89 



Rude boy ! 



rd spank 



him, 



I would not let my silly son 
Think he was big as I. 

If I were Mrs. 'Cello, too, 
luouldn't I 'd bring him up to be 

you . j^ j^j^g^ well-mannered Violin, 

Seen and not heard — like me. 



t t 
t 



SAND-WELLS 



I MADE a picture in the sand, 
A great big Giant Face ; 
I scooped the eyes out with my hand, deep, 

In quite the proper place. 



Dig 

ii0W7l 



And then, well, well ! what do you think ? 

It was a great surprise : ^^^ 

The Giant Face began to wink, ^ggp i 

And tears came in his eyes ! 



t 



WADING ON THE BEACH 



Paddle 
in the 
wa-ter! 



I LIKE to go a-paddling 
Upon the squishy sand, 
And holding up my dress, to see 
How close I dare to stand. 



Cold 
little 

bare toes. 



A little wave curls very near, 

Another laps my toes. 
Ugh ! How the sudsy foam is cold ! 

Ah-oo ! How fast it goes ! 



Rim, run ! 
He is 



coming, 
quick / 



And then I see a great big wave 

Far out to sea begun. 
His greeny head peers up at me, 

He roars, " You 'd better run ! " 



Run, run ! 
He is 
almost here ! 



So then I turn and scamper back 
To get beyond his reach. 

But my ! How fast he chases me, 
Careering up the beach ! 
92 



He splashes all my petticoats 

As wet as wet can be, Splash f 
And then he slyly creeps away ; w^i^^^' 

And people laugh at me. - Ha-ha-ha ! " 



t t 
t 



SNOW-WHITE SHIPS 



be 



If only 'T^HE snow-white ships that sail the sea 

A Are like adventurous birds, to me. 
They spread their wings and fly afar 
To foreign lands where wonders are ; 



could Where gondolas ply up and down 

The byways of a fairy town ; 
Where gloomy mountain caverns hold 
Forgotten stores of robber gold ; 
Where tigers in the jungle roam, 
(^ And curious creatures are at home ; 

Where lovely castles gleam in Spain ; 

bird Where camels in a winding train 

Bear treasures from Aladdin's land 
Across the desert's yellow sand ; 
Where painted mosques with towers high 
Point to the magic eastern sky ; 

jly. Where mystic lamps turn night to day ; 

Where tinkling rainbow fountains play ; 
94 



and 



Where giants lived, and dragons, too. 

Where fairy fancies might come true ; 

Where everything is quaint and queer. 

So different from 7ioiv and here ! 

All tinted amethyst and gold. 

And nothing new, but ever old. 

Oh, pennies would be useless there, ^, 

But golden sequins are to spare, 

And jingling ducats buy such things niy ! 

As children's dreaming never brings. 

Oh, snow-white ships that sail the sea, 
Great birds, do lend your wings to me, 
And bear me happily some day 
To those bright wonders far away ! 



t t 
t 



RAIN 



rj • , TP) AIN, rain, ram ! 

A A- With my nose against the pane, 
See the little raindrops hurry, 
P^ Flurry-skurry in a worry ; 

Slip-and-sliding, 
drip ! Drip-and-gliding, 

In a never ending train. 

Why, O little raindrops, why 
Drop, j)q you tumble from your sky ? 

Where, O little raindrops, where 
^^gp Are you hastening from there ? 

When, O little raindrops, when 
Will you let me out again ? 
^'^^ Raindrops who have spoiled my day, 

So I cannot go and play ! 

Not a drop 
Cares to stop, 

96 



Seems to see 

_ _ , Drip-drop ! 

My nose and me ; 

Hurries past, 

Fast and fast ; 

Patter, patter, Drop-dnp ! 

Skip and scatter, 

Past my nose against the pane, — 

Rain, rain, rain ! 



t 



SUMMER THANKS 



MY heart is very happy in the pleasant sum- 
mer hours ; 
I thank the Lord who gave to us the green trees 

and the flowers, 
The silver summer echoes and the fragrant sum- 
Lovely mer smells, 

world jj^g lovely summer colors in the dingles and 
the dells ; 
But most of all I thank Him hard because He 

gave to me 
A heart to know the wonder-things I hear and 
smell and see. 

The cattle in the meadow where the brook is 

running clear 
Are happy in the summer day ; I love to watch 
for them them near, — 

They munch the grass, they sniff the air, they 
coolly wade and drink, 
98 



And in their dumb and gentle way they show 

their thanks, I think. 
But oh ! A Httle child is blessed beyond each and me / 

beast that lives, 
With heart to know and lips to thank the Lord 

for all He gives. 






L.ifC. 



DANDELION, TELL ME TRUE 



Blow 
once, 



DANDELION, tell me true, 
Does my Mamma need me? 
If I blow your fuzzy hair 
Thrice, and find your forehead bare, 
Home the charm shall lead me. 



blow 



twice, 



Dandelion, tell me true. 

Is my Mamma grieving ? 
Oh, I long to stay and play 
In the meadow, if I may. 
Say, must I be leaving } 



blow 



thrice. 



Dandelion, tell me true. 
Does my Mamma worry .-' 

Blow, and blow, and blow again ; 

Little fuzzies still remain, 
So I need not hurry ! 



lOO 



HAMMOCKS 



MY little hammock swings and swings, 
I play I am that bird with wings, ^ 

Who up there in the great, big tree nest. 

Swings in his hammock, just like me. 



t t 
t 



bird's- 



BRAVE KNIGHTS 



ONE had to be a " doughty Knight 
In brave King Edward's day, 
For with plate armor in a fight 
One could nt run away ! 



t t 
t 




I PLAY I AM THAT BIRO WITH WINGS 



One, 



two, 



THE DIFFERENCE 



SO many little crickets 
A-chirping in the sun, 
So many minnows in the brook, — 
What matter about one ? 

So many little birdies 

A-flying in the air, — 
If something ended one or two, 

Would anybody care ? 

So many little squirrels 

A-skipping in the tree, 
Would any Mother Squirrel miss 

Just one, or two, or three ? 

So many little boys and girls, — 

But what would Mother do, „„,, 

' goes 

If some big, cruel Ogre Man he! 

Should eat up Me or You ? 
103 



three , 



THE DANDELION GHOST 



THE pretty yellow Buttercups were nodding, 
fast asleep, 
The Bees had lulled the Clover-blooms to honey 

dreams and deep. 
The Daisies each had drawn a snowy nightcap 

^ on her head ; 

secret 

But nowhere slept a Dandelion, — all of them 

were dead. 
Yet looking o'er the meadow with the moonlight 

on the grass, 
I thought among the quiet flowers I saw a 

shadow pass. 

I stole across the dewy green and hid behind a 

tree, 
Then half afraid I shyly peeped to see what 

there might be. 

bctTJVCCTl 

All silent and asleep — but look ! There in the 
grass close by 

104 



A single little shade of gray, delaying, caught 

my eye. 
I stole on tiptoe tremblingly, and held my 

breath, almost. 
For in the silver moonlight swayed a Dandelion 

Ghost ! 

I scarcely think it saw me, for I kept so very 

still, 
Until I breathed a tiny sigh, and then I felt a 

chill, 
For quite as if my breath had blown its fragile 

shape in air, ^'^'\nd 

The little frightened ghost arose and flitted t 

softly — where ? 
Poor lonesome, wistful little thing, come straying 

back alone 
Among its sleeping sister buds, where once it too 

had grown ! 



But don't you tell the other flowers, for they 

might have a fright 
To know a little ghost had been so near them in 

the night. 



105 



Shr 



VANITY 



Vain 
things / 



I KNOW a row of Willow Trees 
That grow beside the brook, 
And in the water-mirror these 
Will look, and look, and look. 



They deserve 

to be 

bothered. 



How vain the silly Willows seem ! 

And so I love to toss 
Some pebbles in the glassy stream, 

To make the Willows cross. 



Ohof What 
ugly 
trees / 



For in the mirror, cracked and blurred, 
They then look bent and scarred ; 

I 'm glad they cannot speak a word, 
I think they 'd scold me hard ! 



All one- 
sided and 
wiggly ! 



They scowl and shake their heads at me, 

And tremble as I pass ; 
It only makes them seem to be 

More ugly in the glass. 
io6 



c 



CURLS 



HARLES EDWARD'S hair is 



straight and light, ^^"'^ 

And — though he 's not a girl — 
He suffers torture morn and night 
To keep his hair in curl. 



While Dinah with the kinky wool 
Bewails her sorry fate, 
ecause no brush, nor comb, nor ] 
Can make her hair come straight ! 



Bewails her sorry fate, ^^^^ 

Because no brush, nor comb, nor pull 



t t 
t 



BOBBY AND BIG BROTHER GO 
TO WALK 

A DUET 

Short y^ITTER-PATTER, trotty-pegs. 

JT Tramps tramps tramp. 

Nice to have some longer legs ; 
legs Small, fat scamp ! 

Brother Jim has such a stride ! 

Walk with me ? 

patter, -^^^ •"• ^^^P "P close beside ; 

Well,, we HI see. 

^^"^ Pitter-patter, trotty-pegs. 

Tramp, tramp, tramp. 
Brother Jim, my little legs 
legs Game yotmg scamp ! 

Some day will be long legs, too. 

Near fagged out ? 
tramp Then I '11 have a race with you ! 

Yes, no doubt. 
io8 



Pitter-patter, trotty-pegs, -^"^^ 

Tramp, tramp, tramp. 
Oh, my tired little legs ! '^ walker. 

Poor old scamp ! 
Brother Jim, — please — stop a while, Bobby 

Tote you, so ? 
We have — walked — a long — long mile ! 

Here you go ! 

Tramp, tramp, tramp. 
Tramp, tramp, 

Tramp 



t 



a scaffip. 



T 



STORIES 



^HEY told me why the sea is salt, 
I have been down to hear ; 
The Mermaids whispered prettily 
How The secret to my ear. 

^''^^'^ ■ It is a quaint, enchanting tale. 

You will enjoy it well : 
" Once on a time " — oh, I forgot, 
I promised not to tell ! 

They told me why the world is round, 

I never knew before ; 
My heart is breaking with the news. 
How My tears bedew the floor ! 

Oh, melancholy state of things ! 

Alas ! the tale of woe ! 
I '11 tell you why the world is round, — 

Ah, but of course you know ! 

They told me why the sky is blue, 
I have been up to see ; 
no 



The winking stars nudged me aside 

And breathed the tale to me. fjo^, 

Oh fie ! how scandalous it is ! interesting! 

You 'd never dream it true 
That — no ; I cannot say the words, 

They would not profit you. 

They told me why the grass is green, 

I laughed until I cried ! 
The crickets grew hysterical, 

Chirped out the tale, and died. How 

Ah, such a funny yarn it is ! funny . 

You '11 scream as well as I. 
The grass — Ha — ha ! The grass is green, 

I have forgotten why. 



t t 
t 



Not fair ! 



T 



THE BAND 



HE men who tootle in the Band 
All look so big and fierce and grand 



That no one dares say, " Too much noise ! 
(As people do to tootling boys). 



t t 
t 



SUPPOSE 



THE Monkey has a handy tail 
For hanging on a tree, 
The Elephant a clinging trunk ; jj^ / 

How funny it would be, 

If monkeys all had trunks to cling, 

And quirly tails beside ! 
Like hammocks they could gayly swing Ha-ha ! 

From branch to branch so wide. " 

If elephants had monkey tails 

And played at hammocks so, — 
Suppose, suppose the ropes should break ! Ha-ha-ha ! 

I would n't stand below ! 



t t 
t 



AFTER VACATION 



Niunbers. 



BEFORE they had arithmetic, 
Or telescopes, or chalk. 
Or blackboards, maps, and copy-books. 
When they could only talk ; 



Geography. 



Before Columbus came to show 

The world geography. 
What did they teach the little boys 

Who went to school like me ? 



Grammar. 



There was n't any grammar then, 
They could not read nor spell, 

For books were not invented yet, 
(I think 't was just as well). 



History. 



There were no stupid rows of dates. 
Nor laws, nor wars, nor kings, 

Nor generals, nor victories, 
Nor any of those things. 
114 



For history had not begun, 

The world was very new, 
And in the schools I cannot see 

What children had to do. 

There could not have been much to learn, 

There was not much to know. 
'T was fine to be a little boy ^ ' 

Ten thousand years ago ! 



Now there is always more to learn ; 

How history does grow ! 
And every year brings something new 

Which children ought to know. 



More ! 



But if it still goes on like this, 

I 'm glad I live to-day. 
For boys ten thousand years from now . . g . 

Will have no time to play ! 



t t 
t 



THE FIRE-CRACKER 



IF I could find a Fire-Cracker bigger than a 
house ; 
If I could creep inside and keep as quiet as a 
Pop a mouse ; 

If some one not suspecting me should light it 
with a fuse, — 
» „. /// I guess I 'd shoot up to the moon and get the 
latest news ! 



t t 
t 



M 



MY DRYAD 



Y little oak tree is slender and tall, '^ J^^^^ 



I planted it there myself by the wall, 
Where swiftly it grew, — even faster than I, — 
With its roots in the ground and its top in the 

sky 
Far over my head ; for my little oak tree. 
Though younger than I, can look down upon 

me. 

They say that each tree is a fair Dryad's cell, 
But how she first entered, that no one can tell ; 
She dresses in brown with a bonnet of bark. 
And lives all alone in the cool and the dark. 
I know she is there, for I often can see 
When gently she moves in the little oak tree. 

She is taller than I; she is slender, I think ; 
Her lips must be red, and her cheeks must be 
pink; 

117 



the little 
Oak Tree. 



Her eyes, — are they black, are they hazel, or 

blue? 
And is her hair curly ? I wish that I knew ! 
I wonder if she is a little like me. 
The Dryad who dwells in my little oak tree. 

I know she sees me through the chinks in her 

cell ; 
I 'm sure that she loves me and wishes me well. 
She seems like a sister I never have seen, — 
She is lonely, I know, as I often have been. 
Oh, some day I hope I may find out the key. 
And see her at last in my little oak tree. 



t 



LEARNING TO PLAY 



UPON a tall piano stool 
I have to sit and play 
A stupid finger exercise Do. 

For half an hour a day. 

They call it " playing," but to me 

It 's not a bit of fun, 
I play when I am out of doors, Re. 

Where I can jump and run. 

But Mother says the little birds 

Who sing so nicely now, 
Had first to learn, and practice too, Mi. 

All sitting on a bough. 

And maybe if I practice hard, 

Like them, I too, some day, 
Shall make the pretty music sound ; Fa. 

Then I shall call it "play." 
119 



w 



The 



POINTS OF VIEW 



HEN beating drums and tramping feet 
With crowds of people fill the street, 
Oh, how they run and push and cry 
To watch the soldiers passing by ! 
procession But though I stand on tiptoe tall, 
invisible, -pj^g grown-ups make a solid wall. 
Oh, it is very sad to be 
So little that one cannot see ! 

I hear the bands of music play, 
And see some banners move away. 
The soldiers pass and soon are gone. 
And I have seen not even one ! 
w The people must forget, I know, 

folk f That they were children long ago. 
How splendid it must feel to be 
So big that one can always see ! 

But sometimes when the grown-ups come 
To see my playhouse here at home, 
1 20 



And when I try to show the rest 

The things I like the very best, — Blind 

big 
The truly things one has to "play," — y^/^ / 

They only look around and say, 

" I can't see any castle there ! " 

Or, " Where 's the Princess ? " " How ? " and 

"Where?" 

Oh, does it not seem very queer, 

When I can see them plainly here, 

Big people who could view so well 

The long procession, and could tell q ^ 

What uniform the soldiers wore, to 

Can't see things on the nursery floor ? //// / 

How dreadful it must feel to be 

So big and old one cannot see ! 



t t 
t 



THE CHRYSANTHEMUM 



T 



^HE yellow-haired Chrysanthemum 
Be -i- Looks very cross to-day ; 

'''^^^' She hangs her little frowzy head, 

And pouting seems to say, 



"/ wish I had nt any hair, 
Oh, dearie me ! I do, so there ! " 

I think she would not let her nurse 
l^ook Comb out the tangled curls ; 

sweet. She ought to be ashamed to see 

Us tidy little girls ! 



t t 
t 



THE GREEDY PINCUSHION 



THERE once was a Pincushion, ruddy and 
round, 

The 'ttovy 
With an appetite awful to know ; ^^f^^ 

He ate all the needles and pins to be found, wicked 



Yet only grew hungrier so. 



Pinaishion. 



Now this was not right, for they 'd stuffed him 
with bran 
Enough for a Pincushion's food, 
And that he should take care of the pins was Greedy, 
the plan, 
For they thought he was gentle and good. 

You 'd never suspect him, because he was fat, 

And because his expression was sweet. 

slv 
The pins sometimes stuck by their heads, which -^ 

were flat. 

But the needles he swallowed complete ! 

123 



old thms ! 



And Margery wondered as hard as could be, 
" What becomes of the needles and pins ? 

With such a nice Pincushion, I cannot see ! " 
And here 's where the Sequel begins. 



SEQUEL 



Here he 
made a 
mistake. 



The Pincushion grew all the greedier now. 

One morning when no one was by, 
He gulped down a needle, without seeing how 

It had a long thread in its eye. 



But soon Margie noticed the end of the thread. 
She pulled, and the needle flew wide ; 
Caught. " Oh," she thought, " maybe more of my needles 

are fed 
To that wicked Pincushion's inside ! " 

She squeezed him and thumped him and pinched 
him up tight, 
Punished. Till his features were crooked with pain ; 

When hundreds of needles oozed out into sight. 
And the pins fell about him like rain ! 



124 



But oh, she was angry to find on that day 
What the greedy Pincushion had done ; 

So she tore him in pieces and threw him away, 
And the needles and pins saw the fun. 






SUNSET 

Xints WJ^^^ ^^^^^ angels have been good, 

r V And night is dra^ 
od lets them take his co: 
And dabble all the sky. 



Wl 
And night is drawing nigh, 
^color-box ^^^ ^^^^ them take his color-box. 



t t 
t 



KITTY'S PICTURE 



I TOOK my kitten yesterday 
To have her picture made. 
They wanted me to hold her still, 
Because she was afraid. 



The story 

of a 

Photograph. 



I never had my picture took, 

Because I always cry 
When it begins to stare at me, - 

That awful camera's eye ! 

My kitty wiggled all about, 
And stood upon her head. 

And I forgot the camera. 
Until "All done ! " they said. 



But when the picture came, it was 
The queerest thing ! You see. 

The kitten did n't show at all. 

The picture was of me ! 

127 



What do 

you suppose 

did it ? 



all out 



Tag goal ! 



T 



HIDE-AND-SEEK 



HE Sun and Moon all night and day 
Are playing hide-and-seek ; 



Ohc t7V0 

' sky blue ; -^"^ while one hunts about the world, 
The other comes to peek 



Above the low edge of the East, 
Then, cautiously and slow, 
but you. He tiptoes over to the West, 

And dodges down below. 



The goal is on the Other Side, 

, , , Where I can never see ; 

You re 

It, Oh, how I wish they 'd move it here. 

And play a game for me ! 



For I can only watch them hide. 
And see them chase and run, 

But never see them touch the goal, — 
Miss Moon or Mr. Sun. 
128 



Sometimes the Sun comes peeping up, 

A twinkle in his eye, 
To seek the pretty silver Moon 

Hid somewhere in the sky. 



Corning ! 



And when the other one is It, 

I see in broadest noon. 
Blinding, with hands before her face, 

And counting fast, the Moon. 



'S- 10- J 5-20 



Oh, will they never, never meet, 
And then the game be done } 

Or will they play forever there, 
Miss Moon and Mr. Sun ? 



I guess 

I don't ktwtu. 



t t 
t 



THE THERMOMETER 



Poor 



old 



fellow ! 



IN winter time my spirits sink, 
I sit down in my bulb to think ; 
Then people shiver and complain 
Until I rouse me up again. 
With summer how my spirits rise ! 
I feel like climbing to the skies. 
But then again the people frown 
And long to see me settle down. 



Deserves 



degree. 



So whether hot or whether cold, 
These silly human creatures scold ; 
And whether low or whether high, 
I cannot please, although I try. 
Yet were it not for me, I doubt 
They would have much to talk about ! 

t t 
t 



dreavi 



THE DREAM-ANGEL 



THE days when I am good _^ 

I gladly go to bed, good 

Because I know an Angel stands ^^ 

Above my head ; 

And in his hands he holds when 

A lily sweet and white, ^^^\as 

Which gently to and fro he waves been 

Through all the night. Sood! 

Oh, then my dreams are glad, 

And happily I roam 
With dear dream-children in the fields 

Of their dream home. 



But after naughty days. 

My kindly Angel stands ^^^^ 

Beside my bed with drooping wings 

And empty hands. 
131 



/ h'e been 
naughty — 
I don't 
want to 
go to 
bed! 



No lily sweet he bears, 

But from his eyes, it seems. 
There fall the bitter, bitter tears 

Upon my dreams. 

Oh, then the night is long, 
And all my sleep is sad ; 

I have no happy dreams because 
My day was bad. 



t t 
t 



/ 



MY NOSE 



I WAKEN in the morning with my Nose as 
cold as ice, 
So numb it may be frozen, which would not be 

very nice ! -^t??'-? 

But all the rest of me is snug and comfy to my ^ „^j.^ / 

toes, 
I don't feel like exploring for my frosty little 
Nose. 

Brr ! Think how cold it is up there where my 

poor Nose has been ! 
Brr ! How the nippy snippy air is trying to get 

in! 
So warm and lazy-girl I lie and wonder if he 

froze — 
That naughty, spiteful Jack Frost man — my 

little button Nose. 



133 



It seems a long, long time to wait till Mother 

comes to me ; 
I ask her if my Nose is there, and she bends 
^ ^^f down to see, 

have. Then puts a kiss upon the end, which thaws it, 
I suppose. 
For when I wiggle it I find I really have a 
Nose. 



She shuts the window briskly, and opens wide 

the door. 
Then starts a little fire in the grate, and makes 

it roar. 
Oh ! Then she says, " You must get up," and 

pulls away the clo'es ; 
And so I have to follow up my pinky little 

Nose. 



BrrI 



t t 



MY MAMMA 



MY dear Mamma is good to me 
When I am bad as bad can be. The nicest 

I should n't think she 'd love me then 

Maimna 
Or be so kind to me again ; 

But when I 'm good she smiles once more in tJie 

And loves me better than before. 

I wonder why she likes to be 

So very, very good to me .'' 



t 



BUTTONS 



" Rich- 



man^ 



poor- 



man. 



MY Buttons say I am a " Thief " 
(I have exactly four), 
I 'd rather be a Beggar Man, 
A Rich Man, or a Poor. 



beggar- 

man, 

thief/ '■' 

Oh, fie! 



Nurse sewed the four big Buttons on, 

I did n't want her to, — 
I don't believe what Buttons tell, 

The leastest bit, do you ? 



t t 
t 



MARKET DAY 



PLEASE, sir, I wish a spool of beans 
And seven pints of silk ; 
Then wrap me up a bag of pins. 
And half a square of milk. 

I '11 take an ell of sausages. 
And thirteen gross of cream, 

A can of freshly laundered eggs ; 
Of doughnuts, just a ream. 

Oh, let me have a sheet of soap, 

And eighty grains of tea, 
With twenty pecks of apple pie, 

As boneless as can be. 



Office hours, 
II. Sg a. m. 
until 110071. 



Customers 
please 

not 
talk to 

the 
salesmen. 



I want a dozen honey, ripe, 
And half a foot of cheese, 

Then give me, sir, a yard of oil 
Wrapped up in paper, please. 
137 



No 
change 
given. 



Goods A box of sugar vinegar, 

delivered A drachm of lettuce, too. 

And with a cask of butter-scotch 
I think that this will do. 



next 
year. 



Please send my purchase quickly, sir, 
j^lll- I live upon the Hill, 

01.2% -^^ ^^''^ ^"^ ^ ^^^ away, — 

And charge it in the bill. 



t t 
t 



WINTER BUTTERFLIES 



IN summer time the moths and things, — ^^^ about 

The butterflies and bugs with wings, — Sno^vflakes, 

Encircle the electric light 
That shines into my room at night. 
They think it is a moon, no doubt, 
And so they like to swarm about. 
I see the clouds of moving dots 
Upon the whiteness come like blots ; 
Sometimes a whirl of white-winged sparks, 
Like crazy punctuation marks, 
Comes in between the dark and me ; 
And then some lovely thing I see, 
A gauzy, soft-winged butterfly, 
Flicker across the blue-black sky. 
Beat for a moment, fluttering 
Against the glass its tender wing. 
Then drop, and drop, — like falling snow 
Into the darkness there below. 



139 



There in my bed I lie and stare, 
And wonder, wonder, wonder where 
These Httle, frail wing-spirits go, 
That drift across the night, like snow. 

But now I know ! For yesternight 
Through blinding snow I watched my light ; 
I lay and saw the storm-things drive 
Across the dark like shapes alive ; 
I watched the frantic whirls and reels, 
The gusty chase of snowy wheels. 
And swarms and moving blurs of white 
In through the dark make holes of light ; 
Sometimes a whirl of white-winged sparks 
Like crazy punctuation marks. 
Oh ! suddenly I saw them all 
About the brightness swarm and fall, — 
A cloud of cold, pale, gauzy things, 
A ghostly flock of ghostly wings ; 
And then a single flake of snow. 
That fluttered blindly to and fro, 
Flew straight up to the globe of light. 
And clung there, quivering and white. 
And melting, melting, melting fast, 
Till it was gone, quite gone, at last, — 
My butterfly's pale ghost, that flew 
140 



Back from the summer past, I knew, 
Come with the phantom down-winged swarm 
Back to the light to get them warm ; 
Snow moths and gnats and butterflies 
Faded from warm, bright summer skies ; 
Poor Httle shadow gauzy things 
That fluttered on their frail, pale wings 
Down from some cold and far-off star ! 
And this is what the Snowflakes are. 



t 



say 



KATRINA'S TALES 



W/iat JT- ATRIN A merely has to look 

X^. At some queer picture in the book, 
And then she never, never fails 
To tell me wondrous " truly " tales. 
Katrina says — you cannot dream 
How strange Katrina's stories seem ! 

does She cannot be so very old. 

Yet for a girl she must be bold, 
To go so far and see such sights 
As often meet her eyes o' nights. 
Katrina says — I am afraid 
To think of all Katrina said ! 



^^^ There is no wisdom, I suppose. 

So great as what Katrina knows ; 
Strange beasts and countries, princes, kings, 
Giants and fairies, all those things, 
Katrina says — I wish I knew 
If all Katrina says is true. 
142 



THE POLICEMAN 



THE Judge and the Doctor, the Minister, ri^, 
too, 
Were once little fellows like me and like you ; 
And so was Papa and the Grocer, they say, — heard 
It does n't seem true, though it may be, it may. of 



haby 



But there is one person who could n't be small, 

I know he was never a baby at all. 

He was always a giant with buttons of gold, — 

And that 's the Policeman, so great and so bold. Policeman 



t t 
t 



BOYS 



Boys 

everywhere. 



HOW many little boys there are, 
In lands beyond the sea, 
Who would be glad to travel far, 
To come and play with me ! 



Fun in 
all 
langtiages. 



Oh, they would bring such queer, new games, 

And scores of funny toys 
With curious, tongue-twisting names. 

That please those foreign boys. 



American 

fun. 



How they would like the jolly fun 
Which I could show them here ! 

A day would see it just begun. 
Why, we could play a year ! 



Hard 



luck ! 



It seems too bad that steamboats ply 

And ships sail every day, 
Yet all those jolly boys and I 

Can never meet to play. 
144 



IN SAMPLER TIMES 



LITTLE Matilda Mary Jane, 
My Great-great-aunt was she ; 
Her sampler hangs upon the wall, 

Of queer embroidery. 
She did not spell her sampler words 

As I am always taught ; 
They sound, oh ! very different, 
And don't look as they ought : — 



A Sampler 
is a 

square of 
cloth 

embroidered 
with 



" Alle daye doth toyle ye busie Bee 
& i like Hy7n wil ever B.'' 



Things. 



A wreath of roses green and blue 
Surrounds these curious words, 

And two red things with yellow spots, 
Perhaps they may be birds. 

A funny little willow tree 
Stands up on either side, — 



All the 
Aunts 
had to 
make 
theffi 



145 



I never saw such trees as those, 
With leaves so long and wide. 



when 
they 



were 
little. 



And down below, a solemn cow 

With legs of blue and red 
Stares at a strange, fat, one-eyed sheep, 

With bristles on its head. 
I wonder, when I see those birds 

And that queer sheep and cow, 
If little girls, like other things. 

Were different from now } 



Queer . 



I think indeed it must be so. 

Or else how could it be 
That she, Matilda Mary Jane, 

Who looked so much like me, — 
Her picture in the library 

Hangs high upon the wall, — 
Should be, they say, my Great-great-2Mn\., 

When oh ! she seems so small ? 



t t 
t 



CHRISTMAS 



WHEN Mary's little Baby came 
On that first Christmas night, 
What wonders set the sky aflame, 
And filled the place with light ! 



When 
the 
Star 
burned. 



Oh, every child asleep, I know, 
Had dreams of joyous things. 

Of heavenly music, soft and low, 
And nearing angel-wings. 



over 



the 



stable, 



How sweet to have been one of them, 

Those children ever blest. 
Who slept so near in Bethlehem 

When Christ came there to rest ! 



where the 
Wise 
Men 
came 



For with the morn one might have crept 

Unto the manger bare. 
Where sound the little Baby slept. 

To leave a present there. 
147 



with 



gifts 



for 



Oh, to have seen Him in the hay 
the The cattle standing by, 

Each creature turning where He lay 
A loving, wistful eye ! 



little 



Oh, to have touched His little hand, 
'^Christ- Closed happily above 

Child. Some gift a child could understand, 
Some gift the Lord would love ! 



t 



SNOW 



IF snow were only sugar, 
How pleasant it would be 
To pick the lovely frosting 
From every bush and tree ! 



W/iite 



and 



sweet. 



We 'd skate on sugar taffy, 
We 'd coast on sugar hills ; 

And snow-drifts would be jolly 
To roll in, after spills ! 



good 



to 



eat . 



t t 
t 



THE WISE BOOK 



Is 

your 
book 
wise 
like 
mine ? 



M 



"Y book is very wise indeed ! 
As soon as I sit down to read, 
It opens wide upon my knee 
Just at the page I want to see. 
Oh, say, how can the book have guessed 
Which tale I love the very best ? 



t 



THE SON OF BRAVE SIR GUY 



AT daybreak rode Sir Guy away 
With ten stout men and bold, 
To join the King at Bristol Bay 
For war ere day were old. 



Sir Guy 
departs 
for battle. 



Young Kenneth watched the goodly show 
With eager, wistful eyes : 
" Ah, Father, prithee let me go ! " 
"Nay, nay," the knight replies. 



His son 
wishes 
to go 
also. 



" Son, thou art but a stripling page. 
Thou may St not join the fight : 
Bide, lad, and guard thy mother safe, 
And keep my castle right." 



Jlis 



wish 



denied. 



The bugle blew a thrilling blast ; 

The archers, all in green, 
Dashed forth ; and sadly Kenneth watched Fare7vell ! 

Till they no more were seen. 
151 



Kenneth 
resolves 
to be a 
man. 



Ht 

arms 



himself. 



What, ho ! 
Without 
the gate ! 



And then he proudly raised his head 
And wiped away the tears. 
" I too shall be a knight," he said, 
" Before a many years. 

" I will not let the women smile, 
Because I am but small ; 
I am my mother's trusty knight ; 
I keep my father's hall." 

He donned the little shirt of mail 
His father's grace had given. 

Made for the Yule-tide tilting-games, 
When he had bravely striven. 

He put his little helmet on, 
And girt his sword with care 

(The hilt was set with rubies three ; 
The blade was bright and bare). 

Now as within the armory 
He stood among the spears, 

A bugle's silver challenge rung 
Defiance in his ears. 



And lo ! Beyond the castle moat 
A band of spearmen gay, 
152 



Behind a leader huge and black, 
Were drawn in grim array. 

" Yield thee, Sir Guy ! " the Black Knight cried, 
" Yield castle, keep, and kin, 
Or I with all my bonny men 
Will force a passage in." 

The Lady Alice wrung her hands ; 
Her face was drawn and white, 
" Alack ! A castle full of maids ! " 
She cried. " We cannot fight ! " 

Then Kenneth hastened down the stair, 
And though his cheek was pale, 

His heart beat high and valiantly 
Beneath his shirt of mail. 



The 



siivimons. 



His 

mother 
affrighted. 



" I will protect thee, mother dear, 
And keep my father's hall ; 
Sir Guy hath left the trust with me, 
And I will save you all." 

The maids let the portcullis down. 
All trembling at his word. 

And forth he fared to face the foe, 
His hand upon his sword. 
153 



Kenneth 
promises 
pt-otection. 



The 



challenge. 



The Black 
Knight's 
scorn. 



2hc 
parley. 



The 



test. 



" I am the champion," he cried, 
" For Guy of Vernon Lea ! 
And I will fight your bravest knight, 
If he will fight with me. 

" And this shall be the pledge of war, 
That, though I soon may fall, 
My life shall be the castle's fee. 
And buy the lives of all." 

The Black Knight sat in silence grim, 

Then, " If I slay thee, child, 
Why spare the castle I shall win, 

Why give my word .? " he smiled. 

" Thou art a knight to honor sworn, 
And thou wilt give thy word. 
I die to save my father's pride 
And win a squire's sword." 

The Black Knight lighted from his horse : 
" Then make thy prayer and die, 

For thou shalt meet the best of blades 
Beneath fair England's sky." 

The Black Knight waved his awful sword. 
And forward fiercely came ; 
154 



Then Kenneth made a little prayer 
And breathed his mother's name. 



But lo ! A short spear's length away 
The Black Knight sheathed his blade, 

And stepping back bowed gallantly, — 
"Enough, enough ! " he said. 

He seized the whistle on his chain, 

And blew it shrill and hard, 
While Kenneth stood all dazed and dumb, 

His sword yet raised in guard. 

Then from the wood ten archers green 

Came trooping at the call, 
And lo ! Sir Guy rode at the head, 

So debonair and tall. 

He lighted from his charger gray, 

And bent his knee before 
The doughty knight in armor black. 

And doffed the helm he wore. 

" Rise, brave Sir Guy," the Black Knight said, 
" Rise and embrace thy son, 
Who as thy champion this day 
His squire's sword hath won. 
155 



Hold! 



What 



now ? 



Sir Guy 

reappears. 



The 
Black 

Knight, 



" Come hither, lad, and give to me 
Xhe Thy ruby-hilted blade ; 

King. Nq shame for thee to yield thy sword 

Unto the King," he said. 

Then Kenneth fell upon his knee : 
" Oh, pardon. Sire ! " he cried, 
" That I, a page, should challenge thee, 
All for my father's pride ! " 

" Nay, lad, but it was nobly done, 
Kenneth And thou hast borne the test 

praised. Thy father put upon his son. 
At my will and behest. 

*' For he hath told me of thy prayer 
To squire him to the war. 
And how that thou wert all too young 
To go so fast and far. 

" Yet I have said, ' Though but a page, 
The son of brave Sir Guy 
Must wear a knightly heart ; ' and who 
Hath proved the truth but I ? 

Joy of " Then rise, young Kenneth, take thy sword 

Kemieth. And follow after me, 

156 



Thy King commands thee to the war, 
Sir Guy's esquire to be. 

And bear thee ever from to-day 

As nobly in the fight ; fhg 

So soon thou 'It win thy golden spurs, promise. 

Thy King will dub thee knight," 



t 



IN THE KITCHEN 



THE Kitten purrs, all in a heap ; 
The Kettle, too, purrs drowsily. 
And Cook, beside the fire asleep. 
Is purring loudest of the three ! 



t t 
t 



THE BABY LION 



I WANT a Baby Lion ! 
I saw one at the show, 
No bigger than a puppy dog ; 
But surely he will grow. 



So nice 
and 
woolly. 



I let him lick my fingers, 
I stroked him on the head, 

And I was brave as anything, 
The Lion Tamer said. 



Rough tongue, 
like a crash 
towel. 



We need a little Lion 

At home in Mother's house, 
To frighten off the Burgulars 

As Kitty does a mouse. 



A new 

watch-dog. 



When they began to burgle 

He 'd give a dreadful Roar-r-r-r ! 

And then they 'd see his yellow eyes 
Come glaring 'round the door. 
159 



My! How 
frightened 
they'd be ! 



And if they did n't scamper 
Burnilar ^^ quick as quick could be, 

my Lion He 'd eat up every Burgular 

IS after ^ p^^^ ^^.^^^ ^-^^ ^^^^^g ^^ ^^ 



you . 



t t 
t 



THE ELECTRIC LIGHT 



I CANNOT always see the moon, 
Nor yet the stars who keep Like a 

A tender, watchful eye upon 

My bed while I 'm asleep. ''^' 

But always through the rain or snow, 

However black the night, bright^ 

How comforting to feel the glow 

Of my electric light ! ' 

It is not wonderful nor rare, 

But it is very dear, sleepless 

Like Mother's love and Father's care, 

Because it is so near. ^^^' 



t t 
t 



w 



SLUMBER SONG 



'HO taught the first little girl how to sing? 
I know, I know ! 
The dear little birdies that come in the spring, 
j^ They whistled and twittered on frolicsome wing. 

And caroled her stories of each living thing ; 
They taught her to sing, 
I know. 

Who taught the first little girl how to play ? 

I know, I know ! 
The pink little blossoms all hidden away 
every- Beneath the brown mosses, so roguish and gay. 

They played hide-and-seek with her every day ; 
They taught her to play, 
I know. 

Who taught the first little girl how to dance } 

I know, I know ! 
She saw how the butterflies flutter and glance, 
162 













TAUGHT THE FIRST LITTLE GIRL HOW TO SING 



And the tall Lady Grasses retreat and advance ; ^ody. 

She watched little Columbine caper and prance ; 
They taught her to dance, 
I know. 

Who taught the first little girl how to rest ? 

I know, I know ! 
The good little birds flutter back to the nest, Good- 

And each pretty flower-bud knows it is best night I 

To sleep when the sun drowses into the west ; 

They taught her to rest, 
I know. 



t t 
t 



I am 



a tired 



Lamb. 



PRAYER OF A TIRED CHILD 



o 



^UR Father, hear a tired child, 
Who has forgot her prayer, 
And cannot find the words of it, 
Which wander everywhere. 



You used to carry in your arms 
The lambkins dumb and white. 

Who had grown weary of their play, 
And stumbled in the night. 



I also am your little lamb, 
little Who has no word to pray. 

Dear Father, will you bear me too 
Along the darkling way .-* 

t t 
t 



A BLESSING 



NOW may the Fairies good and bright, 
Who never sleep the long, long night. 
Play ring-around your little bed, 
And kiss their blessings on your head ! 






Electrotyped atid prmted by H, O. Heug;hton &* Co. 
Cambridge, Mass., U.S. A. 



OCT 24 1902 



018 602 318 3 9 



